went to my headquarters this morning. it was an exit interview with my director. well, i have never seen nor work with him before... he was new to me. and of cos, this meant that there was nothing much to talk about when we meet. he had to refer to his file (containing my cv) as we talked. and so, you know it... the exit interview was nothing short of - ok, need to do it and just let's get it done with. quick. it was the kind where the interviewer starts with - oh hi, i think i have met you before somewhere rite?... (ya, rite, our organisation is big but certainly not that big...). some basic courtesies followed, then some questions abt how i felt abt the organisation... then what my plans would be... then, ok thanks for coming by and good luck. short and sharp. and it was over in 15mins. hmmmm, such a waste of time.
my most meaningful time was spent catching up with my ex-staff from my ex-office after the interview. for after so many years, and after so many changes of heads, they still show so much warmth and care for me. and i was rather moved by the fact that my ex-secretary, when she heard i would be heading back to office to see them, had coffee and some little bites for me when i arrived. and my ex-staff all gathered and had a simple breakfast with me at the canteen. it felt so good catching up. so, in a large way, it was not a good bye, it was a catching up with old friends.
i guess when we leave any big organisation, it will not be the organisation or the heads per se that we will miss. the organisation changes. and given the policy of bringing people from outside your department to head your department, the heads won't know you most of the time. but rather, it will be the people we work with that we will miss. for it is through the long and arduous working hours that we create our bonds and forge our identities. and regretfully, people who become our head, being parachuted in, do not have the luxury of journeying through the departments ups and downs together, don't know us and much less, to be able to connect with us... and as for people we know, they die out. they disappear.
well, in the early days, i go for annual gatherings to catch up with those who have retired. they were after all, my shi fu, my teachers, my seniors. they have watched me grow, and i have learned much from them. and in these gathering, the retirees come back to catch up with their juniors who have, in turn, become the heads. nowadays, we do not see the retired people. not since we have the policy of parachuting people as heads. who would want to return and not know the current head? they would most likely be parachuted from somewhere... and with no ties that bind, there will be no memories to reminisce, there would be no common topics to talk about and there would be no further bonds to hold on to.
and i can bet with anyone that i will not be invited for any such gatherings (heh heh... and i am saying this cos 2 yrs back, i got an email from my head office asking me if i belong to them...)
:-)
my most meaningful time was spent catching up with my ex-staff from my ex-office after the interview. for after so many years, and after so many changes of heads, they still show so much warmth and care for me. and i was rather moved by the fact that my ex-secretary, when she heard i would be heading back to office to see them, had coffee and some little bites for me when i arrived. and my ex-staff all gathered and had a simple breakfast with me at the canteen. it felt so good catching up. so, in a large way, it was not a good bye, it was a catching up with old friends.
i guess when we leave any big organisation, it will not be the organisation or the heads per se that we will miss. the organisation changes. and given the policy of bringing people from outside your department to head your department, the heads won't know you most of the time. but rather, it will be the people we work with that we will miss. for it is through the long and arduous working hours that we create our bonds and forge our identities. and regretfully, people who become our head, being parachuted in, do not have the luxury of journeying through the departments ups and downs together, don't know us and much less, to be able to connect with us... and as for people we know, they die out. they disappear.
well, in the early days, i go for annual gatherings to catch up with those who have retired. they were after all, my shi fu, my teachers, my seniors. they have watched me grow, and i have learned much from them. and in these gathering, the retirees come back to catch up with their juniors who have, in turn, become the heads. nowadays, we do not see the retired people. not since we have the policy of parachuting people as heads. who would want to return and not know the current head? they would most likely be parachuted from somewhere... and with no ties that bind, there will be no memories to reminisce, there would be no common topics to talk about and there would be no further bonds to hold on to.
and i can bet with anyone that i will not be invited for any such gatherings (heh heh... and i am saying this cos 2 yrs back, i got an email from my head office asking me if i belong to them...)
:-)
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